Pilloried because Christian: Farron quits as UK LibDem leader saying “We are kidding ourselves if people thought Britain was a tolerant, liberal society”

Mr Tim Farron, an evangelical Christian who has served as Lib Dem leader since 2015 resigned. He was strongly criticised and also called ‘fundamentalist Christian homophobe‘ especially during last General Election campaign for failing to answer questions about his views on homosexuality even if he made clear he supported equal marriage and LGBT rights.

In an interview he did not say clearly whether or not he thought it was a sin to be homosexual, as Sky News reported.

Already in 2015, Channel 4 journalist had quizzed Mr Farron on the same issue as part of a live TV interview. He refused to answer three times if he regarded homosexuality as a sin. He replied: “‘As a Liberal, I’m passionate about equality, about equal marriage and about equal rights for LGBT people, for fighting for LGBT rights, not just in this country but overseas.”

But apparently his answer was not enough. After his refusal, he was criticized by many ‘celebrities‘; the comedian David Baddiel called him “fundamentalist Christian homophobe“.

The only newspaper who spoke in his favour was The Spectator who described him as a ‘victim of a secular inquisition‘ adding that ‘pillorying a man for holding those views seems rather illiberal.’

“To be a leader, particularly of a progressive liberal party in 2017 and to live as a committed Christian and to hold faithful to the Bible’s teaching has felt impossible for me,” he said announcing his resignation as party leader on the 14th June.

“We are kidding ourselves if people thought Britain was a tolerant, liberal society,” he also added.

“All happy now, are they?” Melanie McDonagh comments for The Spectator. “They’ve got their man; he’s resigned; they made his position intolerable. If I were them, though, I’d be feeling just a bit ashamed, as you would when your victim can’t get up any more after you’ve kicked him until you’re tired. And all in the name of liberalism.”